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Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Long Beach Comic Expo 2020: Sexy Cosplay Con is Coming to Long Beach, California!

SEXY COSPLAY CON IS COMING SATURDAY JANUARY 11TH, 2020 TO LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA!


 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA): SEXY COSPLAY CON, a brand-new 18+ convention experience for adults, is coming to the Long Beach Convention Center on Saturday January 11th 2020. This after-hours annex will take place immediately following Long Beach Comic Expo 2020 in a private ballroom from 5pm-10pm.
SEXY COSPLAY CON (where fandom takes an adult twist) is a celebration of sexy cosplay, art, comics, writing, burlesque, and pop culture that all walk the fine line and celebrate sexuality in media. It’s a fun, humorous, self-aware, and exciting venture where like-minded people can leave their inhibitions behind and have fun embracing their inner bawdy persona. You know, the one that wants every TV show couple  to end up together and then read naughty fan fiction about them if they don’t!
Troublemaker Services is the force behind this inaugural event, adding the show to their portfolio of niche pop culture conventions and expos. As long-time fans of pop culture in Southern California, a small and passionate group has formed and we’re excited to present Sexy Cosplay Con! There will be vendors with adult (age 18+) products, cosplayers, hysterical panels and programming on a small stage, a burlesque show, and a bar (age 21+).

Guest and panel announcements TBA closer to the event.
Tickets are on sale now: 18+ Only, $10 in advance or at the door.
Official Website: http://sexycosplaycon.com/

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Critically Acclaimed Graphic Novel UPGRADE SOUL by Ezra Claytan Daniels Expands into Multimedia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Critically Acclaimed Graphic Novel UPGRADE SOUL by Ezra Claytan Daniels Expands into Multimedia with Original Vinyl Soundtrack and Innovative App

UPGRADE SOUL Will Relaunch Its App in October, Timed to the Release of Alexis Gideon's Haunting Score on FPE Records

(October 22, 2019) Ezra Claytan Daniels’ mesmerizing graphic novel debut UPGRADE SOUL has received widespread praise and award nominations for the comic book industry’s top honors, including The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics and the Eisner, Ignatz, Harvey, and ‘Ringo Awards. This fall, the critically acclaimed book is expanding into multimedia with the vinyl release of Alexis Gideon’s UPGRADE SOUL Original Soundtrack and the relaunch of an innovative UPGRADE SOUL app. Both the app and the soundtrack will be available for purchase October 25th, 2019.

UPGRADE SOUL is the dark and surreal story of an elderly couple who volunteer themselves for an experimental scientific procedure intended to rejuvenate their aging bodies. When the procedure goes horribly wrong, creating physically disfigured but intellectually superior clones of the couple, the scientists, the couple, and their clones must grapple with existential questions of morality—with very real consequences. The book is a profound meditation on identity, and the ways society imposes restrictions based on our age, gender, race and perceived disabilities.

Ezra Claytan Daniels spent a decade writing and drawing UPGRADE SOUL before it was published in book form last year by Lion Forge. The book was originally conceived as a digital graphic novel and published as an interactive iOS comic app, launching in 2012, complete with 3D picture-box effects, extra features, and unlockable content. The app was designed by Erik Loyer, a media artist and two-time Webby Awards Official Honoree, whose work has been commissioned by the Whitney Museum of American Art,  the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

“Erik Loyer’s interactive web-based science fiction story called Chroma was a game changer for digital storytelling,” said Daniels. “Stylish and thoughtful, it showed a path for digital interactivity to push the boundaries of the comics form even further. I sent Erik a gushing fan letter about Chroma and that led to the UPGRADE SOUL app.”

“The UPGRADE SOUL app release seven years ago was ahead of its time and helped pioneer digital comics tech which is now in use in games, apps, and on the web,” said Loyer. “Now technology has caught up and enabled us to finish the project as we originally intended, with the rich interactive score, 3D picture-box effects, and seamless navigation that makes the experience so immersive. There’s a reason why we put it on the App Store in the ‘Entertainment’ category—it’s not an ‘enhanced’ version of a print graphic novel, it’s its own unique thing.”

The app featured an incredible original score by composer/hip hop producer Alexis Gideon, who is known for his work with the band Princess and his solo Video Musics series of animated operas. Gideon created the music for the UPGRADE SOUL app to seamlessly flow with and complement the interactive app, creating a wholly unique experience that’s a high water mark for digital comics and a standard-setter for the future of the medium.

“I tried to draw out some of the unsettling and cinematic sci-fi/horror undertones of the book with Goblin and John Carpenter-esque compositions,” said Gideon. “The inquisitive and philosophical nature of UPGRADE SOUL’s story encouraged me to experiment with searching and soundscape compositions."

And in October, for the first time, the trippy and ethereal soundtrack that accompanied the app’s initial launch will be available to the public outside the app. Chicago's FPE Records will release the soundtrack in two formats: a regular black vinyl edition and a limited deluxe edition featuring translucent orange vinyl, red markings, and a signed print by Daniels. Of the latter, only 100 copies will be released worldwide. 

“Alexis Gideon's music for the UPGRADE SOUL Soundtrack perfectly expresses FPE Records eclectic ethos – you can’t say what genre it is and it’s addictively catchy and groovy,” said FPE Records founder Matt Pakulski. “Bonus that it scores such a weird, deep, lovely, repulsively attractive work of narrative fiction, and that cover! It’s a dream project for me and I’m proud to have it join Turning Jewels Into Water, Nicole Mitchell and others on the FPE roster that defy our expectations and keep us mesmerized.”

The UPGRADE SOUL app, which includes the first story’s chapter, is available as a free download. Throughout the month of October, the entire story can be unlocked for $6.99. Beginning November 1, the entire book can be unlocked for $7.99. A preview of the app can be seen here: (https://youtu.be/14CPAXh3NYA).

The UPGRADE SOUL Original Soundtrack Standard Edition, with black vinyl, retails for $18.00. The UPGRADE SOUL Original Soundtrack Limited Edition, featuring color vinyl, is exclusively available through FPE Records’ website, via Bandcamp or directly from Ezra Claytan Daniels at appearances. The UPGRADE SOUL Original Soundtrack Limited Edition retails for $45.00.

“UPGRADE SOUL was originally conceived for this format; when you put on your headphones and start swiping through the panels, and Alexis’ score punctuates every interaction, it’s just an incredibly immersive reading experience. There are several moments where my already creepy story becomes almost unbearably tense,” said Daniels. “We set out to create a digital comic that was first and foremost reverent to the comics medium, and I’m so proud of the final result.”

UPGRADE SOUL has received widespread critical acclaim:

Masterfully crafted. Daniels’s prose is haunting and cinematic, and his storytelling structure is magnificent.” —Vulture

“A dazzling, disturbing piece of science fiction that examines aging, family and science gone wrong. It’ll grip you from the first page on.” —Comics Beat

“Brilliant. One of the best comics I’ve read in years.”  —Mat Johnson, author of Loving Day and Incognegro

“A stunning work of feverish imagining.” —io9

“Earth-shattering sci-fi. UPGRADE SOUL has profound things to say about mortality, aging, identity and the fundamental sense of self. Every choice, every component of UPGRADE SOUL simply works.” —Paste Magazine

“One of the best comics of the year, full of incredible depth of characterization, unexpected turns, difficult resolutions, and broad themes dealt with using pinpoint precision. It’s one of the rare works that yields deeper meaning each time it’s revisited, and where not a single panel of narrative is wasted: each development furthers a promise made to the reader that we are in the hands of a creator who is taking the questions he asks seriously.”The Comics Journal

“A beautiful work of deep emotional resonance. It transcends the medium of comics, settling comfortably in the realm of literature. Nothing short of a masterpiece.”  —David Walker, writer of Cyborg, Shaft, and Power Man and Iron Fist

For additional information and interview requests, contact:
David Hyde
Superfan Promotions LLC

About the creators

Ezra Claytan Daniels is a writer and illustrator based in Los Angeles, CA. His Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz Award-nominated graphic novel, UPGRADE SOUL, was the recipient of the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics and was named one of the best books of 2018 by Publishers Weekly, Vulture, Library Journal, and Paste. His graphic novel collaboration with Ben Passmore, entitled BTTM FDRS, was released in June 2019 by Fantagraphics Books.

Alexis Gideon is an American visual artist, composer and performer. Gideon's work examines the loss of the mystical in contemporary society. Alienation, subjugation and the human condition are persistent themes in the artist’s work. In 2013, the New Museum of Contemporary Art paired Gideon with William Kentridge in a joint exhibition that explored spiritual and political colonialism. Gideon has performed and exhibited throughout the world, including at Moderna Museet Stockholm, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Centro de Arte ContemporĂ¡neo MĂ¡laga, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Vdrome, Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Wexner Center for the Arts,  and Time Zones Festival Italia. His work is in the collection of the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, the Thomas J. Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, the Debra & Dennis Scholl Collection in Miami, FL, The Benter Foundation in Pittsburgh, PA as well as a number of private collections.

Erik Loyer is a media artist whose “storytelling instruments” explore social justice and spirituality while combining elements of comics, video games, and interactive music. Loyer founded the digital storytelling label Opertoon in 2008, creating the interracial love story RUBEN & LULLABY, the touchscreen meditation STRANGE RAIN, and developing the digital graphic novel UPGRADE SOUL. A two-time Webby Awards Official Honoree, his work has been commissioned by the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

THE OFFICIAL PASADENA COMIC CON IS COMING BACK TO THE PASADENA CONVENTION CENTER ON JANUARY 19TH, 2020!

Image result for pasadena comic con

THE OFFICIAL PASADENA COMIC CON IS COMING BACK TO THE PASADENA CONVENTION CENTER ON JANUARY 19TH, 2020!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Pasadena Comic Con (aka Pasadena Comic and Toy Show) is returning to the Pasadena Convention Center for its 6th year. But now, the show is excited to announce that it has grown! PCC is moving out of its former home in the Conference Center and is setting up across the way in the Ballroom! This year, Pasadena Comic Con will be bigger, grander, and feature a larger selection of retail exhibitors, artists, guest artists, and celebrity talent. 
Tickets for the PASADENA COMIC CON (Pasadena Comic and Toy Show) are officially on sale through ShowClix. This single-day event will take place Sunday, January 19th 2020 and will feature a full programming schedule, activities, a cosplay contest. 
Celebrity guest and panel announcements TBA closer to the event.
Tickets are on sale now! $15 early bird 9am entry, $10 general admission.
Kids 12 and under are free!
Official Website: http://pasadenacomiccon.com/
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/838979169832622/
PASADENA COMIC CON, which is a joint partnership between veteran show runners Steven Wyatt and Scott Zillner of Neoscott Productions and Troublemakers Services, is celebrating its 6th year in action. From its start, the show has been an exciting destination for patrons all over Southern California, and the 2020 show will only be bigger and better. With a host of spectacular celebrity guests and special high-profile industry panelists, the PASADENA COMIC CON is a show that no fan of conventions, expos, or pop culture shows will want to miss. 
Conventions and Events by Steven Wyatt:
Conventions and Events by Scott Zillner and Troublemakers Services:

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Celebrate the Season for Horror Comics with comiXology Originals

Celebrate the Season for Horror Comics with comiXology Originals’ Frightober Releases
Just in Time for Halloween:

Dracula: Son of the Dragon Written by Mark Sable with Art by Salgood Sam
Original graphic novel available October 23rd

Josie and the Pussycats in Space Written by Alex de Campi with Art by Devaki Neogi
Issue #1 available October 23rd

Tremor Dose Written by Michael Conrad with Art by Noah Bailey
Original graphic novel available October 30th

Afterlift Written by Chip Zdarsky with Art by Jason Loo
Issue #1 available October 30th

October 17, 2019 – New York, NY – ComiXology, Amazon’s premier digital comics service, announces three new creator-owned comiXology Originals to be released this October, just in time for Halloween. On October 23rd, comes the original graphic novel Dracula: Son of the Dragon written by Mark Sable with art by Salgood Sam. ComiXology and Archie Comics collide to bring readers Josie and the Pussycats in Space #1 written by Alex de Campi with art by Devaki Neogi. On October 30th, comes Tremor Dose, an original graphic novel written by Michael Conrad with art by Noah Bailey. And, announced earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con, Afterlift #1 written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Jason Loo debuts on October 30th. Each new comiXology Originals title will be available to read at no additional cost for Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited members and available for purchase on Kindle and comiXology.

“October is more than just a time for pumpkin spice everything, it’s a time for reading great horror comics,” says Chip Mosher, comiXology’s Head of Content, who oversees the comiXology Originals program. “October’s debuts are wickedly entertaining and more than a little frightening. There’s the terrifying origin story of the world’s most famous vampire in Dracula: Son of the Dragonthe unexpected locked-door sci-fi mystery of Josie and the Pussycats in Spacea the wildly weird and disturbing psychological thriller about dreams and reality in Tremor Dose. And, of course, the shocking urban supernatural adventure announced at SDCC about a ride-share to a very final destination in Afterlift.”

Get chills on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 with these selections:

Dracula: Son of the Dragon – original graphic novel
        Written by Mark Sable with art by Salgood Sam
        Dracula: Son of the Dragon is part historical fiction, part horror fantasy and tells the blood-soaked epic of the real-life Vlad the Impaler’s transformation into the vampire Dracula.
        Mark Sable and Max Douglas, aka Salgood Sam, re-unite to tell the story of Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler, Vlad Drucul), the so-called “historical Dracula”.  But how did this 15th century ruler become the world’s most notorious vampire? As an adolescent in Wallachia, young Prince Vlad learns hard lessons in politics and betrayal and is held prisoner of the Ottoman Turks after being introduced to the Dark Arts at the infamous Scholomance in Transylvania. To survive he believes he must kill in the name of God in order to serve the Holy Roman Order of The Dragon—a very secret – but very real – society both Vlad and his father were members of—but at what cost? 

Josie and the Pussycats in Space #1 (Archie Comics) – 5-issue comic book series
        Written by Alex de Campi with art by Devaki Neogi
        Archie Comics’ musical group Josie and the Pussycats goes on tour for the USO…in space.
        Josie and the Pussycats are the hottest band in outer space! But with fame and fortune comes turmoil as internal conflicts are threatening to tear the group apart. But that's nothing compared to the alien horrors they’re about to encounter as they find themselves adrift in the vastness of space! Even if the Pussycats manage to stick together as a band, will they be able to survive the horrors that await them in the final frontier?

Sleep with the lights on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 with these selections:

Tremor Dose – original graphic novel
        Written by Michael Conrad with art by Noah Bailey
        Everyone dreams, but are these dreams our own? Who controls our thoughts when we're sleeping? Ginn, is a young college student who has been having wildly disturbing nightmares featuring a man she has never met. When she finds a flyer with his picture and the question, "Have you dreamed this man?" she submits to an interview that begins to unravel her perceptions of reality.
        Noah Bailey creates a unique look with striking black and white imagery, paint, ink, and graphite for the haunting and unusual tale.

Afterlift #1 – 5-issue comic book series
        Written by Eisner Award and Joe Shuster Award winner, Chip Zdarsky, best known for his work on Sex Criminals and Daredevil, with art by Jason Loo, the acclaimed writer and artist of The Pitiful Human-Lizard
        In Afterlift, Janice Chen is adrift. She quits her day job in finance and signs up to be a driver on a ride-sharing app. But what was at first a mundane but enjoyable way to pass the time takes a terrible turn when a mysterious passenger updates his ride with a very final destination: the afterlife!

Part of the comiXology Originals line of exclusive content, these newly announced titles will be available upon release, at no additional cost, for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited, and for purchase on Kindle and comiXology. Prime Reading offers all Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of over a thousand top Kindle books, magazines, short works, comic books, children’s books, and more – all at no additional cost. Kindle Unlimited offers over 1 million titles, thousands of audiobooks, and select current issues of popular magazines for just $9.99 a month with a 30-day free trial at amazon.com/kindleunlimited. ComiXology Unlimited now offers over 25,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a 30-day free trial at comixology.com/unlimited.
For more updates on comiXology Originals, check out http://comixologyoriginals.com.
About comiXology
ComiXology, an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is a revolutionary, cloud-based digital comics service. With content from over 125 publishers as well as thousands of independent creators from around the world, comiXology provides an unrivaled library of comic books, graphic novels, manga and bandes dessinĂ©es. The company’s first-in-class innovations include the exclusive Guided View technology which provides an immersive and cinematic reading experience and a new monthly subscription service. ComiXology is based in New York City, with operations in Seattle and Los Angeles. For more information, visit comixology.com and follow the company on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

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